The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU Correspondent

Speakers at a reminiscence meeting underscored the need for unity of student community to overcome the existing rough and tough situation where people are fighting their lives only to stay alive.

They said this while addressing a reminiscence meeting of Modhu Sudan De at Modhu's canteen of Dhaka University yesterday marking his 37th death anniversary organised by the Death anniversary observe committee of Modhu Da.

Present student leaders and former student leaders who are currently leaders of different political parties participated in the programme with Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof SMA Faiz in the chair.

Speakers, especially who were very close to Modhu Da, noted the activities of Modhu Da and how he patronised the student leaders during different movements and also during the Liberation War.

They said the present government violated the constitutional rights of the citizens by enforcing state of emergency for a long period to protect the interest of the foreign masters. Student community has to be mobilised to undo the blue print of the government.

Among the teachers of the university, Pro VC AFM Yusuf Haider, Prof Harun-Or-Rashid, Dean of Social Science Faculty, Prof Akhtaruzzaman, Provost of Kabi Jasim Uddin Hall, Jamal Uddin of Sociology Department participated in the programme.

Prof Siddiqur Rahman, Assistant Proctor of the university, conducted the programme.

Among the participants, Awami League Presidium Member Tofayel Ahamed said nothing was possible without united efforts of the student organisations.

He mentioned different movements of the past, which were conducted by the student organisations jointly.

In view of the strength of the student community, the government is trying to ban student politics, he added and said Dhaka University was the training centre of politics.

"People are discontented, they have no right to speak," Tofayel said and added "state of emergency couldn't exist in any country for sine die"

He urged the government to hand over power to the political party by holding election.

Joint Secretary General of BNP Nazrul Islam Khan said, "We say about war criminals but do not always want to try them because we have compromised with them for self defence or going to power."

They are week those who want to try war criminals but those do not want to try them are very powerful, he said.

Awami League leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Asaduzzaman Nur, Ruhul Kuddus Babu, Nazma Akhter and BNP leader Samsuzzaman Dudu, Asaduzzaman Ripon and Khairul Kabir Khokon spoke on the occasion.

Besides, Mahfuza Khanam, former VP of DUCSU, Nazmul Haque Prodhan, former president of Jasad Chhatra League, Advocate Kazi Abdullah Al Mamun of Jatiya Ganatantric Party, Zonayed Saki, Former president of Chhatra Fedaration, Raju Ahamed, former president of Chhatra Front addressed the reminiscence meeting.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and left leaning organisations' leaders were present in the programme.